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Couple brings long awaited coffee shop to Whitehaven

Muggin Coffee House held a grand opening on Monday.

MEMPHIS, Tenn — If you travel down Elvis Presley Boulevard, Shelby Drive and back again you’ll notice something missing.

A nice coffee shop.

The newly opened Muggin Coffee House has finally changed that, holding its grand opening on Monday.

"If you've grown up in Memphis you've probably heard mean muggin' or mugging. It's just like a confidence that shows that bravado," said co-owner, Ken Olds.

He and his wife also say the name is a play off of coffee mugs too.

People in Whitehaven have had to drive across the state line to grab a cup of coffee on the go.

The Olds both grew up hearing what was lacking in the community of Whitehaven business-wise.

"We've talked about it since we were kids,” recounted Olds. “We used to ride our bikes up and down this road and learn how to drive on this road and I heard my parents say 'man we don't have a coffee shop to go to."

They began planning the business last year. Then the coronavirus hit, forcing them to accommodate the new normal.

"We started planning this last April and come today I can tell you a lot of the things dealing with COVID-19 we did not have planned in that."

Not everyone supported the business idea at the beginning.

"We had several people you know laugh at us and say that a coffee shop won't work in a predominantly black neighborhood in Whitehaven. So we refused to let the naysayers to stop us from doing what was right and would be successful."

The coffee house already had a couple of favorites. It helps they’ve added some Memphis flavor to their products.

"It's been our Zippin Pipipin. Our Zippin Pippin and our Muggin Mane."

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